Assembly machine and method



June 22, 1937.

e. F. ROBARGE 2,084,411

ASSEMBLY MACHINE AND METHOD v Filed May 29, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 1INVEfNTOR. Gear 3 F. zoba June 22, 1937;. c;. F. ROBARGE 2,084,411

ASSEMBLY MACHINE AND METHOD ,Filed May 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. G e 2c bar 6 ATTORNEY.

llunezz, 1937.

s. F. RoBARE ASSEMBLY MACHINE AND METHOD *Filed May 29, 19-36 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Geo/7 's 1: Jaw/J Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 3Claims.

This application relates to assembly machines and methods.

The machine herein disclosed operates to form a coil spring from a spoolof wire and insert the Same into a cup, thus forming the assembly of acup containing a coiled spring.

For an understanding of the machine herein disclosed reference should behad to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings,

1 Fig. 1 is a front View of the machine as if in the direction of thearrow I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a left side view of the same as if in the direction of thearrow 2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevation and section views of the assembly of a cupand spring;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show different steps in the forming of the coil spring;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show different steps in the assembling of the coilspring in the cup;

Fig. 11 is a View as if in the direction of arrow H of Fig. 10.

The machine disclosed comprises a rotating spindle l0 telescoped withina stationary collar ll having diametrically opposed slots l2 adapted toregister, when the spindle is at rest, with diametrically opposed slotsAbove the spindle and collar is a stationary head l5 having radiallydisposed blades l6 and H operatively associated with means for causing.the

blades to move radially towards and away from the axis ofthe spindle.Adjacent to the spindle is a pedestal upon which is supported a feedguide 18, and also adjacent to the spindle is pivotally mounted on apedestal IS a flap 20, upon which are adapted to be disposedsuccessively, cups 2| into which are to be inserted coil springs. Alsoadjacent to the spindle is a coil holder 22 pivotally mounted to movetowards and away from the spindle.

40 The operation of the machine is as follows:

Wire 23 is fed in the direction indicated on Fig. 1 from a spool throughthe feed guide 18 until the leading end of the same registers with aslot [4 in the spindle. Thereupon the operating 5 mechanism causes theblade Hi to advance to wards the spindle so that it will bend theleading end of the wire into the slot l4 and interlock it to the spindlein the manner shown. The spindle is then caused to rotate several turnsso 50 that it will coil the wire into a coil around the spindle as amandrel, after which the operating means of the machine will cause theblade IT to advance and cut off the coil from the remainder of the wirebeing fed into the machine, and the 55 blade I! is so formed that incutting off the coil M of the spindle.

it will also bend the trailing end of Qhe coil into the other one of thetwo slots I4 of the spindle so that when the coil is completely formedon the spindle it will have both of its ends tucked into the slots M ofthe spindle and the coil will 5 thus be interlocked into the spindle. Atthis time the coil holder 22 will be moved towards the spindle, so as toengage the coil and prevent it from expanding when the coil is pushedoff the spindle axially by means about to be described. 10

With the coil so held the flap 2B is rotated to the spindle so that itscup 2| will telescope over or be disposed in registry with the end ofthe spindle, in position to receive the coil; thereupon blades 24disposed in the slots 92 of the 15 collar, which are then registeredwith the slots M of the spindle, are advanced towards the coil andoperate to push the coil off the spindle and into the cup, whereupon thecoil will expand and frictionally hold itself in the cup. Thereafter,the flap 20 is rotated back to its original position, so that the cup 2|containing the coil may be moved therefrom and replaced by another cup,empty for receiving a coil.

I claim:

1. A machine for forming a coil from a supply of stock sufficient toprovide many coils and inserting it into a cup which comprises a spindlehaving a free end, means for feeding stock tangentially across thespindle, means for secur- 3 ing the leading end of stock fed across thespindie to the spindle, means for rotating the spin- 1 dle to coil theleading end of the stock, means for severing the stock after the spindlehas come to rest with the coil formed thereon and for securing thetrailing end of thecoil to the spindle, and for securing the leading endof the stock to the spindle for the next coil winding, means fordisposing a cup in registry with the end of the spindle in position toreceive the coil, and means 40 for pushing the coil off the spindle andinto the cup, and means for removing the assembled cup .and coil from,in registry with the free end of the spindle, and means for causing thecoil pushing means to operate only after the coil is completely woundand cut off the stock and after the leading end of the stock for thenext coil to be wound is secured to the spindle.

2. A machine for forming a coil from a supply of stock sufi'icient toprovide many coils and inserting it into a cup which comprises a spindlehaving a free end, means for feeding stock tangentially across thespindle, means for securing the leading end of stock fed across thespindle to the spindle, means for rotating the spindle to ering thestock after the spindle has come to rest with the coil formed thereonand for securing the trailing end of the coil to the spindle, and for'securing the leading end of the stock to the spindie for the next coilwinding, means for dispos ing a cup in registry with the end of thespindle in'position to receive the coil, and means for causing relativeaxial movement between the spindle and the coil so that the coil willleave the spindle and dispose itself freely within the cupiand means forremoving the assembled cup and coil from in registry with the free endof the spindle, and means for causing the relative axial movementcausing means aforesaid to operate only after the coil is completelywoundand cut forming a coil on the spindle, cutting the coil off thestock and again securing the leading end of the stock to the spindle,disposing a cup in registry with the spindle, and thereafter'causingrelative axial movement of the completedcoil and spindle to causethecompleted coil to leave the spindle and dispose itself in the cupfree of the spindle.

GEORGE F. ROBARGE. 15

